This invention pertains to a full suspension system for skis which allows for total edge control, while significantly dampening impacts and vibration.
Skiing is inherently dangerous and hard on the body. When skiing at any speed, regardless of terrain, the upper body is subjected to numerous jolts and impacts which the legs cannot effectively deal with. Such impacts engender fatigue in the skier, and create chatter and loss of contact with the snow. This alters performance significantly, and often culminates in physical injury.
Since impact force is the overall force divided by the time of force application, the ideal way to attenuate impact forces is by prolonging, and thereby lessening, the immediate force of impact. This is most efficiently done by allowing for xe2x80x9ctravelxe2x80x9d anywhere between the ski and the upper body. The skier""s legs do some of this work, but peak impact loads are more efficiently dampened somewhere between the binding and the boot, not via the skier""s legs. A system which offers vertical travel concurrent with positive edge control is optimal.
Thus far all prior art shock absorbing elements for skis either do not provide positive edge control (by having mechanisms which allow for vertical travel, but poor control of lateral flexing), or do no more than dampen vibrations (by controlling lateral flexing but not allowing for vertical travel).
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,896,895 to Bettosini describes a plate of metal alloy sandwiched over a layer of absorbent material, and fastened to the ski. This approach allows for positive edge control, but doesn""t offer the vertical travel necessary to truly absorb peak impact forces. In order for it to allow for positive edge control, said metal alloy plate must be very rigid both laterally and longitudinally. This has a negative affect on the natural flexing of the ski, creating a xe2x80x9cflat spotxe2x80x9d under the ski which drastically affects edge control. Even if this version was integrated into the ski a flat spot would ensue, as the longitudinal sheer forces exerted with ski flexing are not dampened appropriately by a top plate which is both rigid and adjacent to (as opposed to within) the ski""s arc of flex. In addition, the attachment means are inherently subject to sticking when subjected to longitudinal sheer forces, thus affecting overall flexing of the plate in relation to the ski. There are a variety of other designs based on this approach which also do nothing to provide vertical travel, while suffering from the same drawbacks.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,139,214 to Meyer describes an articulating system based on a hinge positioned in front of the boot which allows for significant vertical travel, but unfortunately, also significant lateral rotational flexing. Correct transmission of lateral forces necessary for positive edge control is virtually impossible with such a system, as the front hinge is the only rigid transverse engagement with the ski. Torsional forces applied to the bindings thus engender lateral rotational flexing of the entire binding plate relative to the ski, significantly inhibiting positive edge control.
The present invention overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art by incorporating a plurality of linkage mechanism between the ski binding and the ski which effectively allow for optimum absorption of impact forces, while maximizing edge control. In this invention, upon impact, the top plate flexes vertically towards the ski, while maintaining lateral rigidity.
2 Ski
4 Boot
6a Binding Toe
6b Binding Heel
8 Top Plate
10 Middle Plate
12 Ski Plate
14 Formed Rod Linkages
16 Panel Linkages
18 Substantially Rigid Body
20 Resilient Elements
22 Longitudinal Axes
24 Cylindrical Holes
26 Flexural Coupling
28a Formed Rod Flexure Axes (top)
28b Formed Rod Flexure Axes (bottom)
30a Panel Linkage Flexure Axes (top)
30b Panel Linkage Flexure Axes (bottom)
32 Replaceable elastomer cartridges
34 Primary Flexure axes
36 Secondary Flexure Axes
38 Tertiary Flexure Axes
40 Quaternary Flexure Axes